Tom`s travels: Hike from Schwedt to Angermünde (09/05/2024)

On a sunny September weekend, Ania and I decided to do a hiking trip in northeastern Brandenburg close to the border with Poland. We first reached the town of Schwedt on the Oder River, which right next to it forms the Lower Oder Valley National Park. The city had once an old town that was though bombed during WW2. Furthermore, after the war the city grew because of its oil refinery, one of the largest in the country, and many typical plattenbau buildings were built all around. Once there we saw the few traces of the old city left, the Berlischky-Pavillon in a rococo style from the late 18th century, a few townhouses, and the church of St Catherine, originally built in the 13th century but rebuilt in the 19th century in neogothic style and again after the war. From the city, we headed southeast and left it behind us following a path and cycling road parallel to one of the main canals of the Oder River. The way was really nice and the sun pleasant. To our right the canal and to the left the marshy land all the way to the river. After a few kilometers, we crossed over the canal and reached the village of Criewen. It had a small manor, the Schloss or Gutsanlage Criewen, originally dating to the 18th century but rebuilt a century later. Around it was a nice park and to the west the village church, originally built between the 13th and 14th centuries but refurbished during the 19th century. At the site, a small church gathering was taking place where locals were having a small potluck. One could donate something and then get food from a couple of stands. We sat among them and ate our sandwiches and then took some tea and dessert from them after leaving some coins. It was quite a nice and enjoyable break. Back on track, we followed the trail that headed through a forest and on a hilly side to the village of Stützkow. Here we crossed once again the canal and rejoined the main cycling path. We met a small herd of sheep along the way and after a few kilometers crossed once again the bridge to reach the village of Stolpe. It featured a street and a single row of houses and above a solitary red brick tower dominating the landscape from its hilltop. This tower was once part of a castle complex that dominated the hilltop. Begun as a Slavic rampart from the 7th/8th centuries, its current form comes from the 12th century when the area was under Danish rule as the rest of the Duchy of Pomerania. In fact, most probably the masonry and bricks used for its construction were probably transported from southern Sweden by ship across the Baltic Sea and the Oder. With an external diameter of 18 m, the tower is considered the largest keep in Germany. Once up there we enjoyed a beautiful view of the Lower Oder valley stretching all the way to Poland. We then left the hill and headed along a main road before following once again a path through the countryside. We passed several early and green wheat fields and here and there some wind turbines. After a few kilometers so, we entered the town of Angermünde, traversing its old town and eventually reaching its train station from where we took our ride back to Berlin.